I’ve been using it since version 6. What amazed me back then on dial-up was that it was fast, really fast. That’s how Opera got to me. So after all these years Opera is actually letting me down.

Then over the years, it’s getting better and better. More and more things you needed are added. This happened with long awaited version 9. For someone that’s using this browser for the first time, but had any experience with browsers such as firefox they’ll say it’s awesome, it’s wonderful. That’s the problem if I wanted to I would be using Firefox not Opera. I want Opera, I don’t want Firefox. There are just too many things that are firefox alike, without a need IMHO.

Opera is really not what it used to be.

I’ve seen this while I was using beta versions of Opera 9. Some things I really liked, such as when you closed all the tabs, one (blank) will stay open ready for you to type some URL. Disregard that all, let’s go to what are the improvments in version 9.

Widgets

Great, I think this is just great, especially for windows users, who dont really have something like superkaramba (on linux)right there. I dont and will not use any of the widgets since I’m linux user, but I find this to be a really neat add-on.

Torrent

Great. Except the thing that I’ll never use it. I used it once to download some torrent in Opera 9beta2 and it’s all great and all. There are still many users who dont really deal with torrents, or want a torrent program. Or know what is torrent nor a torrent program. So this really comes in handy, even for advanced users.

However, I’m definetely staying attached to my Azureus. Opera torrent is great, but it’s just too basic right now.

Identification

Finally. I’ve been waiting this for so so long, and I know dozens of Opera users who didnt do this. Once you installed Opera, you wanted to press “F12” or “Quick Preferences” and set the browser to identify as Opera. If you dont do this it’ll identify as Internet Explorer! I so this in beta that they set it to be identify as Opera by default. But now it’s all kind of different.

New about identification is that it has been improved and now except identifying as different browsers, there’s a new feature “Mask as” so you can mask as IE or Mozilla.

Rendering

I really cant see the code, but Opera renders the sites perfectly. Most of the sites are now made not by any standards so they just care it looks good in IE and Firefox. Even with beta9 you could clearly put Firefox to its knees. This was a problem for Opera before, 2years ago or so, msn.com even made a site so it wouldnt load properly under Opera. They got sued, and Opera got away with millions. Regardless, rendering is really good in Opera now. Very very good.

There are dozens of “minor” or lets call them “small” updates and upgrades to Opera 9, but they are really not worth mantioning.

Bugs!

I’m using slackware linux, and KDE 3.5.2. With new any x.0.0 versions of any software they are prone to have bugs so Opera did the same thing. Take a look at the pic below:

o when you run Opera it moves your other “tray icons” in a single horizontal line.
Well yea that. Very very annoying. So you have to put your kicker to larger size and then to your previous “normal” size so it gets to be as a first picture above. This alsmost made me go back to Opera 9 beta2, but then I got some senses into myself. I increased the kicker for another 2px, which is 50px of hight now, it used to be 48.

So I guess I’m pretty fine with that, when you think about the fact that Opera works on all platforms! This is a first bug I encountered, annoying but you can go over it I guess.

Conclusion

Well … Opera is trying to get new users, that is it’s oriented more to computer newbie sector. Which is good, with a browser as Opera they can brag around they are l337 hax0rz. Whatever suits them :)

If Opera goes this way, I think I’ll either end up on Opera 8.xx or I’ll go to some other browser after all these years. I even tried this few weeks ago, but it’s really in my blood stream so “no man cant do”. But I guess you get used to all the things.

Yes Opera is not what it used to be. But I guess it’s the “evolution” and all. What I would really want from next versions of Opera is to fix the KDE kicker thingy (mantioned above) and make Torrent a lot more advanced. At least there should be a button so you can see advanced view or something. Besides that, I’m really fine with it. I cant say I’m impressed, especially since I was testing it since beta versions, but I guess it would get a really solid grade.